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On a planet far-far away, remembered simply as BS, (before school! Oh please behave!) there lurks a distant memory of helping myself to some green washing up liquid poured over ice and a ‘canapé to self’ made from “kittykat” on to a dis guarded toast soldier which was destined for the bird table. Teddy and I still recall the schadenfreude allure of the green liquid to this day.

During the garish 1960’s and 70’s the toothpaste flavoured liquid became the sought-after Emerald and many a girls desire. The rare, frozen, glinting jewel most often presented in a half schooner sherry glass with two short straws was green Cremè de Menthe. Poured over crushed ice and then reverently placed near flickering candle light at a bustling Berni Inn near you, pure romance eh? The advent of the commercial Cremè de Menthe frappe became the height of sophistication in quintessential suburbia. Made more heady as the bill arrived it was accompanied by two chocolate mints well … Oh my days….talk about living it up? It was just so Alison Steadman in “Abigales’s Party” !

Mint and Chocolate remain close bedfellows, particularly in ice cream world where it still reigns supreme with we sophisticats. I have been toying with some frozen bonbons and variations there of. Styling spheres (ok balls – I know what you’re like!) of ice cream . I have tried two versions of fresh mint infused into the cream prior to processing and it was buttery silage ghastliness, no matter how much chocolate I chucked at it. I return to a decent quality peppermint essence which has proved to be a clear winner with The Tea Boy. Adding a tiny drop of essence to some chocolate ice cream balls, (yes I said it again) with shaved chocolate overcoats scored highly on the (TBS) Tea Boy scale. So this is evolution rather than a revelation for now. With that I was on a roll, so to speak……

Should you be particular about shape and uniformity set the ice cream in the rubbery halves of ice-cube trays or cake pop or chocolate formes. When ready to coat the ‘set’ middles, have all else for rolling and coating ready before removing said middles from the freezer. I took this to be a one woman play date to futz about as you will see:-

Armed with my trusty melon baller, my life being a tad too short to be meticulous or over phaph, small scoops of ice cream were placed on a small metal tray with a layer of non stick plastic wrap:-

Chocolate ice cream with a few drips of peppermint essence were coated in grated white chocolate.

Large grain sugar dyed a rather funky green with a whisper of peppermint essence coats chocolate ice cream ‘bite size’ scoops of dark chocolate ice cream. Remaining sugar will be used to edge glasses m’thinks.

A whiff of peppermint essence added to a squidge of home-made magic shell coats chocolate ice cream bites there after a convincing dusting of dutch cocoa powder or two as they looked a tad scruffy.

Chopped mint thins (well observed, I used after eights) folded into vanilla ice cream see link with the addition of some white chocolate essence for some added oomph, and far too much colour into the remaining mix was subsequently coated in anything I could find.

Serve these to your sophicats on glass tiles straight from the freezer, they are a nice end to an impromptu supper with friends where a huge pud wouldn’t be appreciated (as if). My cake stand is frosted from being placed in the fridge prior to some pretty swift and nifty serving and disposable naipery and cake forks were de rigueur. They were not perfect but all amused and swiftly disappeared?

An emerald green Cremè de Menthe frappe, candle light with some little icy creamy nibbles anyone? Sayeth she in her best Estuary English.